One of the intriguing questions for political junkies ever since the June Republican primary has centered on the 50 percent of voters (about 150,000) who didn’t vote for Jack Ciattarelli.

Instead, they essentially divided their support between two right wing candidates, Phil Rizzo and Hirsh Singh.

What is this group, and those with similar views, going to do on Nov. 2?

The question is not just academic. Ciattarelli can’t afford to lose any Republican votes in a state where registration leans Democratic by almost 1.1 million.

All Republicans have a common enemy – Phil Murphy.

So on one hand, it’s logical to assume that most anti-Ciattarelli primary voters will go with “Jack,” as his campaign signs say, simply because he’s running against Murphy.

Then again, those on the extremes tend to be scornful of compromise. It is hazardous, of course, to pay too much heed to social media rantings, but search relevant sites and it’s easy to find writers denouncing Ciattarelli with the dreaded “RINO” tag.

The candidate clearly perceived the need to placate the party’s right wing, which is why over the summer he suggested public schools were teaching sodomy and why Diane Allen, his LG candidate, warned about Central American migrants bringing  COVID to New Jersey.

At that time, Ciattarelli also was quoted as telling a conservative group he needed “wiggle room.” That was taken to mean he may have to move a bit to the political center during the fall campaign to get elected. After all, this is New Jersey, not Tennessee.

Either by design, or just coincidence, we saw evidence of that move at this week’s gubernatorial debate. Not on every issue, but on enough issues to raise eyebrows among Trump voters.

Ciattarelli again reiterated his belief Joe Biden won the presidential election. It seems bizarre that someone actually has to say that 11 months after the fact, but that is the political climate in which we live.

In discussing the recent Texas abortion law, Ciattarelli again said he does not support overturning Roe v. Wade.

Both these positions – Biden’s win and abortion rights – may be mainstream in New Jersey, but they could not have made the Republican right all that enthused.

But there was more.

One of the issues that sharply divided Trenton recently was driver’s licenses for the undocumented. Many on the right would edit that to say, “driver’s licenses for illegals.”

At any rate, after much debate, the bill passed amid crowd chants of “Si, se puede,” (Yes we can) and was signed by Murphy. Republicans were strongly opposed.

Asked about that at the debate, Ciattarelli surprised those watching and probably shocked many Republicans by supporting the idea in the name of security.

“They’re here. They’re not going anywhere. Let’s know who they are,” he said. “Let’s give them a driver’s license.”  Ciattarelli added, quite sensibly, that it’s a safety risk to have people on the road without a license or insurance.

The above is basically the Democrats’ position on the issue. .

Wiggle room aside, it was fascinating to see Ciattarelli adopt a fairly liberal position on an issue as passionate as immigration.

And also fascinating to wonder how his base feels about it.